Obama Opposes Return Of Fairness Doctrine

President Barack Obama is against any move to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine, a White House spokesman told Fox News.com.

"As the president stated during the campaign, he does not believe the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated," White House spokesman Ben LaBolt said.

The statement comes after recent comments by former President Bill Clinton and other leading Democrats that suggested a move to bring back the doctrine -- a long-abolished policy that would require broadcasters to provide opposing viewpoints on controversial issues.

Conservatives see the doctrine, called the "Hush Rush" doctrine by some, as an attempt to impose liberal viewpoints on their shows and largely oppose any move to bring it back.

It is the first definitive stance the administration has taken since an aide told an industry publication last summer that Obama opposes the doctrine. In recent days, both senior adviser David Axelrod and White House press secretary Robert Gibbs left open the possibility that Obama would support the doctrine.

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